One belief is that it started when an English stableman committed suicide by hanging himself while standing on a pail,or bucket.

VOA: special.2011.06.05

I should have read it a lecture or two ago when I started talking about immortality, but I misplaced it.

我应该在一两节课之前读它,即在我开始谈论永生的时候，但是我当时把它放错地方了。

耶鲁公开课 - 死亡课程节选